Astrology Forecast For Creatives | Week of July 23rd - unpacking Monday and Tuesday, wanting and wanting and wanting, something could be looking a little too shiny right about now

Perceive the light by anaispopy

I hope everyone enjoyed Sunday's relaxing sextile between Venus and Jupiter.

This is setting up an energy we are going to be working with later when Mercury goes retrograde off a square to Jupiter - we will get back to this later in the week.

I didn't have much time to write on Sunday so I am doing dailies this week. Let's unpack the first two days.

If you have something that absolutely, positively has to be done this week I would try to get it done on MONDAY, the Moon will be waxing in optimistic Sagittarius. Yes, there will be squares to Venus (love, money, women, our values, resources and self-esteem) and Neptune (our imagination, illusion. deception, escape) that will create tension and stress, especially with Venus in critical (though perceptive) Virgo, but squares get things done. It is energy we can work with. Sagittarian themes - higher education, legal issues, foreigners, travel, weddings, media, publishing - could be especially worth the effort, although not without some challenges.

On TUESDAY the Moon will go Void at 4:22AM EDT off a trine (brakes off) with Mercury, sitting very strong and nearly still in Leo and preparing to reverse course this week - BACK UP YOUR FILES.

The Moon will be void all day until she moves into stable Capricorn at 5:49PM EDT.

This would not be a good day to start something new or launch something you need "something to come of", but the trine to mental Mercury pre-void tells us it could be a good time for productive writing, public speaking, communications and commerce.

The BIG news on TUESDAY though - and this will be building and then unwinding all week - is an opposition between Venus (in Virgo) and Neptune (in Pisces) at 16 degrees.

Venus in Virgo has had us taking a closer look (like magnifying glass close or bad breath in the morning close) at our relationships, our money, what we want and what we already have.

In "just the facts Jack" Virgo, Venus wants to keep it real.

Now she moves into opposition with, and yes, an opposition is just what it sounds like, imaginative Neptune in confusing "unlimited" Pisces.

Neptune can dissolve Venus's ability to focus in on the details - things can get confusing.

Yes, more confusing than they already are, especially if this is hitting a planet or point in your natal chart!

It can be hard to tell what is real now. Maybe with an opposition to boundless Neptune we want and we want and we want. Things can appear better than they actually are, maybe easier to have. And those things that seem to be just a hair's breadth away from our reach are actually a mile up the round, around the corner and buried under 40 feet of cement. Remember with Neptune we are looking through water.

Things can fall short later.

This would not be a good time to invest/make large purchases since Venus rules money and Neptune dissolves. Bye-bye logical Virgo, bye-bye hard earned cash.

Watch for unrealistic expectations around love and relationships and women, too.

Oppositions can also play out as actual people - so if we are being dutiful Venus in Virgo with our head down in a pile of paperwork, we could come up against a dreamy Pisces-type person - maybe our girl Polly calls with a plan to ditch work and head to the beach. Or maybe we are the dreamy Pisces energy and our creative work comes up against a nitpicker-type who wants i's dotted and t's crossed in a very specific way that cramps our style.

This opposition CAN expand romantic/financial possibilities AND this can be excellent energy for spiritual growth - Neptunian experiences are designed to open us up and Neptune and Venus can work well together 

BUT we have to be CAREFUL, so we don't screw up and fall into some kind of illusion/delusion.

With Venus set to trine powerful Pluto (brakes off) in a couple days we will know soon enough what is true and what is rose-colored inspiration.

We NEED inspiration, we don't need to marry it or hand it our Visa card.

Stay focused - keep it real. Tuesday evening's responsible Cappy Moon will help.

xo all

back up those files!

Weekend Astrology Forecast for Creatives | regrets, second chances, keep a cool head, power plays, a deep cleaning, words hurt, cooperation, generosity, the SUN will come out tomorrow .. and then he does

confetti by quadratiges

Let's finish unpacking this week!

By FRIDAY morning EDT the Moon is in Scorpio and squaring Mars (retrograde in Aquarius) sitting on the South Node. This will make for some tense interactions and frustrations. 

With Mars conjunct the South Node for the second time (of three!) this could be a second chance with something that happened around June 8th or regret over whatever we did/didn't do at around that time.

Mars retrograde and out-of-bounds creates a boomerang effect for aggression and anger, so we don't want to be the one tossing out the snide comment or landing the first blow right now.

If trouble is stirred up now - walk away. Walk away.

With our actions squaring that secretive Scorpian Moon we also don't want to be the one withholding information that other people need - secrets will have a way of coming back to haunt us later. This summer's long and winding Mars retrograde has, and will continue to, provide us with multiple opportunities for self-sabotage. We likely slept through a sextile to stable Saturn, but staying focused on the important stuff, our responsibilities and commitments will come in handy today.

By Friday night the energy does a 180 (WHEW!) with the Moon's sextile to lovely Venus (persnickety in Virgo, but still Venus) at 7:40PM EDT followed by her conjunction with expansive Jupiter. Good energy to be out and about, optimistic and having a good time. Good relationship energy. I vote - DATE NIGHT! Hoping to drag hubs to Mamma Mia (that cast!).

On SATURDAY the Moon (in Scorpio) will sextile (opportunity) Pluto (in Capricorn) at 10:28AM EDT - opportunities for deep, emotional healing and POWER moves that pay off. Good energy for research, deep cleaning, a counseling session or even hunting for buried treasure. Where is your metal detector? I used to have a metal detector. The sextile will have moved on by the time I find it though! Also good energy for financial stuff - doing taxes, estate planning, taking care of bills, investments, etc.

By 3PM EDT, the Moon will square (tension/frustration) Mercury (in Leo) - this is tension between our head and our emotions. People could be moody and opinionated. Someone might be digging in their heels. Or someone could be changing their mind. Someone might be spilling our secrets. Things might get LOUD.

Take care when driving. Take care when operating heavy machinery - not a good afternoon to pull out that wood chipper! Take care with your language. Don't fight with your sibling or neighbor.

Likely with this aspect - words/ideas/information will arouse emotions that are STRESSFUL. 

Don't fear though because "cue little red-haired Annie" - the Sun will come out tomorrow!

Very early on SUNDAY EDT, while we sleep, the Moon goes void off a trine with the Sun (this will actually be late night on the West Coast so it could be a good LATE date night there!) making us feel safe and secure.Yes, we might sleep through all of this - tuck and cover - but we should wake feeling comfortable.

Venus (in Virgo) will sextile (opportunity) Jupiter (in Scorpio). 

I missed this in the weekly forecast - and this is probably the best aspect of the week. So glad I put up a weekend forecast and took a second look! 

These two beauties don't move as fast as the Moon so this will be in play for a couple days. 

This is opportunity for our love/money/resources/values/self esteem to EXPAND. Good for relationships, good for business, luck, positive change - good news for our natal Virgo and Scorpio houses. 

This is about cooperation and generosity!

At 6:12AM EDT the Moon moves into Sagittarius (more optimism!) focusing us on Sagittarius themes for the next couple days - our higher thinking, foreigners, higher education, travel, weddings, the media, legal issues, publicity.

The good news continues with the Sun's roar into fiery Leo - the sign he RULES - at 5:01PM EDT.

The Sun in Leo is naturally generous, proud, self-expressive and CREATIVE. Leo rules the 5th house of fun and recreation, romance and love, children and creativity. This is the space of the North Node and our collective way forward. Are we following our joy? Are we playing all-in? Are we taking the center stage of our own life? Are we removing all roadblocks to our most heart-centered life? What are we proud of? How are our children - personally and collectively? Is our own inner-child given time to PLAY? We are all burning Leo fuel now!

I will get a preliminary post up this weekend about next week's challenging Eclipse and also see what the hell is going on with the Donald. We probably need to be following the Maria Butina story because she burst into the headlines with Eris and BML activity this week and we know "Russian spying" connects back to that 2010 eclipse. The plot thickens ....

xo all

Astrology Forecast For Creatives | Week of July 16th - rocks and hard places, hard to compromise, the scorned feminine/underdog bites, dealing with that thing AGAIN, karmic contracts torn up, the eye of the storm

(tribute to football 2 by ZNZtazmanijus) - viva la france!

We are fully in Eclipse season now, with this week looking like the eye of the storm, but eclipses are anything but predictable!

Some major aspects this week are:

MONDAY - Venus inconjunct Mars, Mercury inconjunct Pluto
THURSDAY - First Quarter Moon in Libra
FRIDAY - Mars retrograde conjunct the South Node, Eris stations retrograde, Sun opposes Black Moon Lilith
SUNDAY - Sun into Leo

MONDAY is a tricky day with multiple inconjuncts (rock vs hard place) - the good news here though is we can be sharp and focused and with the Moon still in practical and organized Virgo sextiling (opportunity) expansive Jupiter there is good energy for public relations and group activities - the day is just NOT so well suited for one on one dealings that require any kind of tactfulness or negotiation.

The Mars/Venus inconjunct could be a man/woman issue, a relationship issue - it could be what we want (Venus) and what we have to do to get what we want (Mars) is not so compatible right now or maybe we can't get along and get what we want, too!

Compromises - the only real way through an inconjunct - are not so likely when Venus clashes with Mars! Inconjuncts require adjustment and give and take - there aren't easy any real solutions.

Remember where these planets are - Mars is retrograde in detached Aquarius moving toward his second conjunction with the South Node later in the week. He (as us via our actions, passion, anger and initiative) is going back over something or meeting delays as we attempt to plow straight ahead and Venus has just stepped into practical, dot your i's and cross your t's productive Virgo.

EXAMPLE FOR Aquarius/Aquarius Rising (Mars in your 1st house, Venus in your 8th house) - that 8th house issue - other people's resources, other people's values, intimacy, other people's money, spouse's income, loans, debts, taxes, inheritance, sex, reproduction, the way you merge your resources/intimacies with other people - is the hard place and you (Mars in Aquarius) are the rock. You could be using a hammer with a situation that could benefit from a gentler touch or a hammer to hit a fly and miss your mark entirely. There could be something you have been avoiding that Venus in "sharp-eyed" Virgo isn't allowing you to just skim over this time. Inconjuncts don't offer the solution - there isn't a tidy solution to an inconjunct - instead they bring our attention to the problem and require us to adjust both sides or come to a standstill. With Mars retrograde and set to hit the South Node in your sign for the second time this week and last week's eclipse in your health/daily habits house Aquarius AND next week's eclipse in your sign (Mars/South Node's first conjunction was June 8th, so something could be related back to that time) you could be seeing the results of many years of action/inaction on your physical body, your physical situation/possessions, your brand, etc. Mars demands action (and that anger/passion/force be expressed). MOVE it or lose it.

On the same day Mercury (in Leo) is inconjunct Pluto (in Capricorn). Words are the rock and power is the hard place. We could get fixated on one particular idea - yes, there will probably be a song stuck in our head! We could feel paranoid or suspicious. We could speak way too LOUDLY or boastful or say things that are way too personal. On the flipside we might not be able to get a word in at all if someone else has taken the reins. Cross this date off your calendar for that important conversation with your boss - if you have one scheduled, feign a stomach ache and leave early #kidding, #notkidding. People could try to manipulate us with their words or we could be the one doing the verbal manipulation that will not be very effective - maybe nix that stomach ache story.

This is the day Trump is scheduled to meet with Putin. I don't think anyone is getting what they want with whatever is going on with that.

After I posted the eclipse blog the other day someone asked me if last week's eclipse related back to any previous date and the closest eclipse I found was one in mid July 2010 and I added a sentence at the end of the post about that.

Later when I googled for newspaper stories from around July 11, 2010 to look for any connections to current events I spied (!) a story back then in both the Washington Post and New York Times about a big spy swap (the largest in decades) between the U.S. and Russia that took place in Austria. One of the spies was the Russian who was poisoned last March (along with his daughter) in the U.K. and note that story is back in the news now because of further poisonings with that same chemical.

The swap also included a married couple living in the U.S. (the TV series 'the Americans' is loosely based on their story) and one of the most senior FBI agents working on that case for many years was FBI agent Peter Strzok who was up before Congress at this eclipse testifying about the Clinton/Trump election and Russia. Then the next day, last Friday, we had the indictments of a dozen more Russians in connection to meddling in the U.S. election. And last week's eclipse degree is almost exactly opposed to that UBER hot degree where Saturn and Pluto will meet in Capricorn in January 2020. Hmm.

EXAMPLE FOR CANCER/Cancer Rising (Mercury in your 2nd house, Pluto in your 7th house) the rock is your money/values/resources/self esteem and the hard place is a partner/partnership. This speaks of power struggles within a relationship over money or something you own or the value you place of yourself. An argument/disagreement is possible. Keep in mind you just had a big eclipse in your own house Cancer (the first of multiple coming next year and the next) - if big decisions are not forced on you now, give yourself a break and some time to catch your breath. Next week's eclipse will be in your 8th house of other people's money/taxes/debt/sex/reproduction and will bring a square with unpredictable Uranus in your career/public life house so there are more surprises ahead.

The Moon makes a nice trine to Pluto at 10:29PM EDT favoring deep emotional connections.

On TUESDAY, the Moon is Void until 3:42PM when she moves into sociable Libra likely turning our focus to Libra themes over the next couple days - our relationships, cooperation, beauty, women, diplomacy, partners and social activities.

On THURSDAY, we have the Moon's first quarter square with the Moon finishing up in Libra and the Sun finishing up in Cancer.

This is the halfway point between last week's eclipse and next week's eclipse and will probably focus us on a relationship/balance/diplomacy tension. Our relationships with other people are important things to care for now. And any Cancer square could make us emotional and have us feeling that our security is threatened. It will also be important to keep in mind though, especially if it feels like someone lets us down now or does not have our back that with wounded healer Chiron in independent Aries, some things will just be up to us. We don't want to lose ourselves in another person any more than we should lose ourselves in our work or in our fantasies or in a bowl of spaghetti. Although if the spaghetti is homemade with a homemade sauce and a crusty loaf of bread on the side ... well, I don't know ...

The Quarter Moon will form a T-Square with Eris, who has exactly squared the Sun on TUESDAY. This could bring a pissed off woman (the one who was NOT invited to the party and also reminding me of the 30,000 plus women burned at the stake as witches during the Inquisition) or an issue regarding women into the LIGHT.

Maybe Trump will have another woman issue come to light this week since he could be playing the Sun for us collectively here. We'll have to see how big a collective news week this eclipse midpoint turns out to be.

The Moon goes Void at 3:52PM EDT until 9:13PM EDT when she moves into Scorpio turning our focus for the next couple days to finances, intimacy issues, life/death issues, reproduction, sex, power dynamics, issues around the resources we share with other people.

On FRIDAY we have a retrograde Mars meet up with the South Node (again! the last meeting was June 8th) - this could be  a repeat "Groundhog Day" style situation, the movie I mean, not the 'seeing his shadow' thing (the final conjunction is on September 27th) where we are dealing with something again and again in order to wrap the damn thing up or this could be various karmic situations designed to release us from old contracts - ours and our ancestors. With Mars long summer journey there could be some lessons, too, about learning to express anger, passion, aggression and force in healthy, positive ways.

EXAMPLE FOR PISCES/Pisces Rising (Mars retrograding through your 12th house) - this is happening in your 12th house of what is hidden or put away or done behind the scenes, secrets, the ethereal realms, imagination, hospitals, spirituality, addiction, healing. This could take you back over something you thought you had already put behind you - likely related to something near that June 8th date and/or connected to when Mars first went into Aquarius on May 16th. Something here is ready to be released - it might not be quite as easy as simply opening your hand, but some part of your load is surely and sorely wanting to be lightened.

Also on Friday we have Eris stationing retrograde - yes, another energy retrograde in Capricorn! - and the Sun opposing Black Moon Lilith - our other pissed off feminine energy.

We'll take a look at Friday in the weekend forecast - it's too much for me to unpack on a Sunday night!

In the meantime - we are in between eclipses now folks AND we are going to be saying this again in two weeks because we have three eclipses instead of two this summer. Next week's Aquarius Lunar Eclipse is a biggie hooking into Mars sitting on the South Node and squaring "anything-can-happen" Uranus.

Get some extra sleep. Stay hydrated and limber. Don't over-schedule yourself.

xo all

Weekend Astrology Forecast for Creatives | July 13th thru July 15th - volatility, impulsiveness, a need for attention, then things begin to settle down a bit, material gains over time, practical love, mentors and muses show up, cleaning things up

like stars on your skin by quadratiges

On FRIDAY we start the day with a Void Moon until the Moon moves into Leo at 1:31PM EDT. The Leo Moon will direct a focus on Leo themes - romance, children, recreation, sports, risk, creative projects - over the next couple days.

The Moon is going to make a series of strained aspects as she gets triggered by the Mars/Uranus square. Leo is a fixed sign and seeks the spotlight - people will be headstrong, less likely to bend, wanting attention, assertive and even possibly aggressive.

At 5:10PM EDT she squares Uranus, so we might be dealing with some kind of disruption - a pull toward something outside our comfort zone. With Uranus in Taurus whatever is happening could make us more aware of what we don't/can't have. By 1:12AM EDT the Moon will be opposing a retrograde Mars in Aquarius. Our emotions will be more volatile, we (and other people) more impulsive and easier to anger.

At 2:44AM EDT on SATURDAY, Venus (in Virgo) trines Saturn (in Capricorn). This is very practical, very grounded energy offering self discipline, financial maturity - positive changes made this weekend can last a long time (especially changes, even small things, involving Venus themes - love, money, our resources, our values and self-esteem). This is good energy for dealing with authority and stepping into responsibilities - good for 'cleaning things up'.

This is part of the Grand Trine in Earth we talked about for the eclipse and good for material gain. This has been within orb for a couple days and will continue to be within orb for a couple more when Venus finally pulls away from the old slow poke.

Venus rules love, money, our values, women, beauty, our self-esteem (Libra and Taurus) and in Virgo, ruler of our 6th house house is currently concerned with our day-to-day activities, our routine, work, co-workers, pets and our health. Saturn rules structure and things that are real and have weight, time, goals, hard work, discipline, fathers, older men and responsibility (Capricorn).

Trines create smooth energy - the brakes are off - the vitality will flow and work together naturally.

This trine will apply to our natal Virgo and Capricorn houses and their themes.

Now these houses are always in trine, but today, inhabited by attractive Venus and hard-working Saturn, the vibes are particularly useful.

If Venus and Saturn were people they would be a young, loving, attractive woman and a serious, responsible older man. You can see how these two people could bring out the best in each other

(not in a sugar-daddy kind of way - Saturn ain't nobody's free ride).

We carry both these archetypes within us - what can we do now to cement their merger?

We could make a commitment (Saturn) within a relationship (Venus) now. We could make a commitment with our money. We could make a commitment to valuing ourselves. We could commit to the hard work of being more beautiful (ie Venusian) or birthing something beautiful. We could beautify (Venus) our career (Saturn). This would be a great time for cosmetic changes within a business. Spruce ups now will pay off over time.

Venus/Saturn is not going to be about developing some trendy thingamajig because with Saturn the payoff comes over time and our trendy thingamajig will be gathering cobwebs in the corner.

For creators this isn't so much about new styles as new methods. Both form (Venus) AND function (Saturn) will matter here. People will be drawn to more traditional, quality items that will last. Venus/Saturn will only be together for a couple more days, but this is the card to play now.

Our existing relationships can grow stronger. There is a mutual respect here. Relationships between people of different ages started now would likely be long-lasting.

Mentors (Saturn) and muses (Venus) can show up.

The Moon will go Void at 7:12PM EDT off a 'rock and a hard place' aspect with Pluto, so maybe something between our emotions and our ego is out of whack here. Maybe we are coerced into doing something we don't want to do (or someone around us is) and our/their behavior is more and more forced. The Moon is void for the rest of the night.

On SUNDAY the Moon is Void in the A.M. so a good day to sleep in. She moves into practical, steady Virgo at 1:31PM EDT.

With the Moon finally in an earth sign now, any emotional Eclipse drama can start to slow down and unwind a bit.

With the Moon is Virgo for the next couple days - and we know she will meet up with lovely Venus at some point and also trine powerful Uranus and Saturn - our focus will be naturally directed to Virgo themes (and the theme of your natal Virgo house - which is why it pays to have your chart handy!) - the details, our daily activities, our pets, our work and co-workers, our HEALTH.

At 5:21PM EDT she will trine (brakes off) eccentric, unpredictable Uranus (in Taurus) to add a bit of brilliance and the unexpected to our Sunday night. We get the trine from Saturn at 8:55PM EDT - this is good for organization, following through with responsibilities, dealing with older people or authority and building something lasting. At 12:35AM EDT we get the conjunction to Venus and a lovely mood for anyone who has stayed up for it.

This is a great aspect to end this important week.

We are in the eclipse spin cycle now folks - in between eclipses. Have a good weekend.

xo all

* Some insight about this "settling down" Venus/Saturn thing we talked about for Saturday from a post last year-

I have a friend who lived with a man for 12 years. They didn't want children, but she wanted to marry. He was always firm that he would never marry. Then one summer during responsible Saturn's transit of his 7th house (partnership) and her 2nd (values, self-esteem) she drew an equally firm line in the sand. They married within weeks.

All was well for about a New York minute and then ... everything changed, it all felt like work (her words here). He started to feel like her father even though they were close in age.

She couldn't figure out what the hell had happened.

Saturn transits grow us up. And the things we commit to during Saturn transits will not be easily discarded. She needed to draw a line in the sand. And he needed to commit. They loved each other, but had suddenly become each other's ball and chain (Saturn!). Ack!

Now this guy has a very challenged 7th house - multiple tense aspects and a very beneficial 5th house. So when my friend moved from 5th house (girlfriend, romance, fun) to 7th house (partner) she stepped right into all these strained spaces he was learning about through his dealings with equal partners. And he stepped into her equally tricky 2nd house self-esteem issues.

She now says she thinks all she really wanted was, "the respect of not being someone's girlfriend" and she wishes things were back as they were before. Saturn rules time and Saturnian commitments often have a "before and after" feel to them. There is no going back. They both stepped up to the plate to play a bigger game. They moved from the minors into the majors and will need some time to find a new rhythm.

The good news with Saturn is that time is always on our side ....